Ultimate XMen: SAVAGE LAND
by Dino Pollard
Summary: Colossus adjusts to life in the XMen while Phoenix begins to investigate Magneto. What is the secret of Avalon, who is KaZar, and how will it affect the XMen?
1. Part I: Question and Answer

* * *

"SAVAGE LAND"  
Part I: Question and Answer  
August 2004  
**by Dino Pollard**

* * *

_**Avalon**_

She tries not to look intimidated. She tries to hold her ground and stand tall. But when in the presence of the man called Magneto, the word "intimidated" becomes a gross understatement of the most severe degree. Especially in the case of Alison Blaire. Still, she tries not to falter in this. She steels herself and builds her resolve up for his questions.

"I wish to know more of these... Morlocks, Dazzler," he says.

"They kidnapped us," says Dazzler. "Me, Hank, and the mutant you sent us to find."

"Yes, this John Allerdyce," says Magneto. "Where is he?"

"After contending with the Morlocks, he decided he'd rather stay in England," says Dazzler. "Typical product of the punk fad—all talk."

"And the Morlocks?" asks Magneto.

"A group of mutants who lived in the sewers beneath London," replies Dazzler. "They were led by a woman named Callisto. She wanted Hank to stay there, to become one of them, and she was ready to kill both me and John."

"You were outmatched?" asks Magneto.

"Yeah," replies Dazzler. "And our powers were negated by one of the Morlocks, called himself Leech. So to escape, I challenged Callisto to a duel. And I... well, I won."

"Very nice," says Magneto. "I'm not easily impressed, Dazzler. But given what I've seen of you in the field, this shows that you are beginning to evolve."

"Right..." says Dazzler. "I don't want people to start thinking I'm Wonder Woman or anything. Callisto was mostly talk, she didn't have any moves that I didn't already learn from Logan, and I... I think I just got lucky."

"The strong survive, young Alison," says Magneto. "A lesson Callisto learned all too harshly. I find it interesting that the Morlocks just let you go after you killed their queen."

"It wasn't like that, the Morlocks... they knew what was going on," says Dazzler. "Not only that, but I didn't kill Callisto."

"You what?" asks Magneto.

"I... I didn't kill her," replies Dazzler. "...sir."

"And Allerdyce is still out there," says Magneto. "You realize you have put our entire existence at risk."

"What?!" asks Dazzler. "What did you want me to do, kill Callisto, kill the Morlocks, and then kill John for good measure?!"

"I expect you to perform your duties," says Magneto. "This Callisto, she wasn't worthy of the gift of Avalon. She wasn't worthy to lead the Morlocks. And yet, even after you defeated her in battle, you still allowed her to live?!"

"That's not how this—!"

"Umm... I hope I'm not interrupting something..."

Magneto and Dazzler turn as they see the form of a young woman with long, brown hair as she walks through the wall into Magneto's chamber. Kitty Pryde is fairly new to the X-Men, a recent recruit who has yet to see much in the way of field action."

"Something you need, Shadowcat?" asks Magneto.

"I... umm... I just wanted to know if we were adding this new guy to the team," replies Shadowcat.

"New guy?" asks Dazzler.

"Yeah, the big Russian guy that looks like he stepped out of a Calvin Klein ad," replies Shadowcat. "I think his name's Colossus?"

"Colossus?" asks Dazzler. "As in member-of-the-Brotherhood-that-tried-to-kill-us Colossus?"

"A man who also helped us during the battle with Proteus in Muir Isle," says Magneto. "Don't worry, I'm keeping an eye on him."

"On all of us, you mean?" asks Dazzler.

"You may leave now," says Magneto. "Both of you."

Shadowcat and Dazzler look at each other as Magneto turns away from them. The two young women follow his command and leave him alone in his chambers. As they step out into the hallway, the door slides closed behind them.

"God, that guy gives me the creeps..." mutters Shadowcat.

"You too, huh?" asks Dazzler.

"That's why I came in," says Shadowcat. "I was doing some tech stuff in the next room and accidentally phased through. It sounded like he was gonna get pissed because you weren't a killer, so I decided to come in and try what I could to get you out of there."

"I don't like this place," says Dazzler. "Not at all. Magneto creeps me out and his followers, these Acolytes, creep me out even more."

* * *

Elsewhere, Scott Summers knocks on the door to one of his teammate's living quarters.

"Hey Logan, are you in there?" he asks. "C'mon man, get up. I thought you wanted to do some training?"

He leans closer to the door and he can hear grunting through it.

"Oh man... what's he doing now?" asks Scott. He starts banging on the door harder. "Dude, I don't have all day!"

A few moments later, the door opens up and Scott looks at shock. Piotr Rasputin, the X-Men's latest member, steps out of the room wearing nothing but a pair of boxer shorts. In his hand he holds a small bundle of clothes.

"Oh... umm I thought this was Logan's room," says Scott. "I'm sorry, I must've..."

"No, it's his room," says Piotr. "I'm just leaving."

Scott's eyes follow Piotr as he walks past him. He can see scars on the former terrorist's back.

"You waiting for an invitation, Summers?" comes Logan's voice. Scott shakes his head and walks inside the room.

Inside, Scott finds the room in shambles, as if a tornado came through here. He sees Logan sitting back on the bed, wearing nothing. He holds a cigar between his fingers and in his free hand, he holds a bottle of Jack Daniels that's just about empty.

"Y'need something to hold that jaw up, Summers?" asks Logan.

"Wha?" asks Scott. Then he realizes his mouth has been gaping open this entire time. He closes it quickly and tries to compose himself. "Oh right..."

"Y'look like ya got somethin' on your mind, kid," says Logan. "Spit it out."

"Oh... it's nothing... I mean... I'm sorry, I just thought you were... I mean I didn't know you were... I mean, because Colossus is obviously and you... well you... umm... you're not and I don't really know what I'm saying here and I've bet I have the wrong idea about this because maybe you and him were just... I dunno... doing something... but not what I think you were doing because you're obviously... I mean you're... please don't kill me."

Logan cocks an eyebrow as he takes another swig from the bottle, polishing it off.

"That's... quite a mouthful," he says. "An' no, I'm not gay."

"So then... what were you guys doing?" asks Scott.

"Fucking," replies Logan. "Obviously."

"Oh..." says Scott. "But then that means... you're bi?"

"Nope," says Logan. "I just like sex."

"oh well... that explains it..." says Scott. "...I think?"

"Lemme get my uniform on an' I'll meet you in the training arena, fair enough?" asks Logan.

"Yeah sure..." says Scott. "I'll go there... and I'll... I'll see you out there..."

"Good," says Logan.

Scott stands there for a few moments.

"...so you should get going then," says Logan.

"Oh right..." says Scott. "Right... right... I'm going..."

Scott slowly backs out of the room. Once he leaves, Logan bursts out into laughter.

* * *

"Hmm... that's interesting..." mutters Hank. He sits in one of Avalon's central monitor stations, with Jean Grey and Kurt Darkholme.

"What's that?" asks Jean.

"I never noticed it before, but look at this," replies Hank. He points to the monitor. "The power source seems to fluctuate a lot."

"What's that mean?" asks Kurt.

"I'm not entirely sure..." replies Hank. "Hold on, let me see what I can bring up..."

He tries to find the source of Avalon's power, but is greeted with a message that reads "ACCESS DENIED."

"Can you get through it?" asks Jean.

"I'm not sure..." replies Hank. "I'm not as good with computers as Kitty is, but I can try."

Hank enters several commands, attempting to get around the security access. However, he is still greeted with the same message of "ACCESS DENIED."

"Damn..." mutters Hank. "No luck."

"Why would Magneto want to hide information about the power source?" asks Kurt.

"I'm not sure," replies Hank.

Jean gets up from her seat and walks out from the monitor room.

"Jean?" asks Hank. "Jean!"

"I'll go after her," says Kurt.

"I'll see what I can do here," says Hank.

"Jean!" shouts Kurt as he runs after the redheaded young woman. He teleports in a flash of light and reappears closer to her. "Jean, hold up!"

"Not now, Kurt!" says Jean.

"Waitasecond Jean, just where are you going?" asks Kurt. He teleports right in front of her, blocking her path.

"I'm going to find out what it is that keeps Avalon running," says Jean. "Look Kurt, this isn't natural. We're living in a tropical paradise in the middle of Antarctica! Doesn't that sound odd?"

"Well yeah... but so does a lot of the stuff we've encountered," says Kurt. "I mean, c'mon Jean, why are you trying to find a way to burn Magneto?"

"Because I don't trust him," says Jean. "I can't read his mind, Kurt, but Proteus could. And he found out that Magneto is hiding something from us. I want to know what that is."

"And how do you expect to find that stuff out?" asks Kurt.

"Not me," replies Jean as her green eyes begin to change to a fiery red. "Phoenix."

* * *

John Proudstar has been lifting weights since he was thirteen. For him, this has become routine. The breathing is clockwork for him. He could do this in his sleep. For the X-Man who has come to be known as Thunderbird, this is therapy. He hears the door to the weight room open and he rests the five-hundred pound weights for a moment and sits up. He wipes the sweat from his forehead with his towel.

"What do you want?" asks John. "Colossus, right?"

"Call me Piotr," he replies. "Or Peter if it's easier."

"I'd rather not call you anything," says John.

"Do you have a problem with me, Proudstar?" asks Peter.

"I've got a problem with former terrorists joining up with us," replies John. "Especially since it's because of guys like you that we lost O."

"O?" asks Peter.

"Storm," replies John. "Your buddy Rogue left her in a coma. Then when O came back, Rogue killed her."

"Rogue was one of the X-Men, in case you've forgotten," says Peter.

"Not to me she wasn't," says John.

"So you hate me, but you follow Magneto?" asks Peter. "A man who killed far more people than I ever have?"

"That's different."

"How?"

"Magneto was being controlled by the Shadow King," says John. "So unless Mystique had some mindfuck powers that the Professor never told us about, then you have no room to talk."

"When your father's a big player in the Russian mob and very anti-mutant, your choices are very limited," says Peter. "It's not something I expect you to understand. Not everything fits into your twisted vision of black and white, Proudstar. And just as a reminder, I'm not the one who killed your teammate. In fact, the last time we fought, _you_ broke _my_ nose. So if anyone in this room has the right to be pissed off, it's me. But lucky for you, I don't have to show off to prove how tough I am. After all, _I'm _not compensating for anything."

"And what the hell does that mean?" asks John. He stands from the bench and stares directly into Peter Rasputin's eyes, his fists clenching.

"Think about it," replies Peter. "I'm sure even someone as dumb as you would be able to figure it out."

John slams one of his clenched fists against Peter's face. The impact causes Peter to lose his footing and fall back against the wall. Peter rubs his lip and sees blood on his thumb.

"Okay..." he says. "_Now _I'm pissed off!"

Peter Rasputin's height increases to about seven feet while his skin transforms into the organic steel armor of Colossus. Proudstar's eyes go wide as Colossus lunges for him. However, Proudstar's superhuman speed gives him the advantage as he dodges around Colossus. Thunderbird moves in close and rams his elbow against Colossus' chest. While not as strong as Colossus, Thunderbird is certainly able to hold his own against the armored mutant.

Colossus backhands Thunderbird, and the Native American mutant flies back into a weight rack. He grabs one of the weights and hurls it as if it were a frisbee. Colossus blocks the first one, but Thunderbird hurls more and more. Soon, Colossus is forced to resort to simply protecting himself from the weights. When they stop flying, Colossus looks up and sees that Thunderbird is gone.

...until something slams against his back. Thunderbird stands above him, holding one of the free weight bars with a hundred pound weight on the end of it. He uses it as if it were a hammer to beat Colossus down. After a few strikes, Colossus grabs the bar and looks up at Thunderbird, glaring at him with yellow eyes. He bends the bar and pulls it from Thunderbird, throwing it to the side. He wraps his hand around Thunderbird's neck and pulls his fist back, poised to strike. Before he can, however, he finds that he cannot move. Colossus looks towards the entrance to the weight room and sees Magneto hovering there with a female Acolyte standing by his side.

"That will be quite enough," he says. "Release him, Colossus."

Colossus lets go of Thunderbird and John moves in to strike him. One of the free weight bars slams against Thunderbird and pins him against the wall.

"Just what is the meaning of this?" asks Magneto.

"He started it..." mutters Thunderbird.

"Bullshit, you threw the first punch!" exclaims Colossus.

"You baited me!"

"Enough!" exclaims Magneto. "I don't care who started this—I've finished it. Colossus, resume your human form. The two of you will clean up this mess. Voght here will keep an eye on you and if either of you act up again, she will teleport you elsewhere. Understood?"

Colossus and Thunderbird slowly nod.

"Excellent," says Magneto. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have other matters to attend to."

* * *

"Umm Jean?" asks Nightcrawler. "I think I'm going to lose my lunch..."

"Oh relax Kurt," replies Phoenix.

"Relax?" asks Kurt. "Kind of hard to relax when I'm being suspended in the air by what looks like a flaming bird!"

"This was the fastest way to get here," says Phoenix. "Relax, we're here now."

Phoenix lowers her and Nightcrawler to the ground, and the flaming avatar vanishes. Nightcrawler's eyes scan the area, and he sees that they are nowhere near Avalon's main city.

"So... what are we doing here?" he asks. "And where is here?"

"I detected some sort of presence here," replies Phoenix. "Another mind on the island. One that wasn't mutant and wasn't animal."

"Is that possible?" asks Nightcrawler.

"Apparently so," replies Phoenix. "And he's nearby."

"Where's nearby?" asks Nightcrawler. He backs into some bushes and something leaps out from behind him. Kurt's eyes grow wide as he finds himself face to face with a sabertoothed tiger with orange fur. It growls at him and crouches, prepared to strike. It leaps towards Nightcrawler, but Kurt Darkholme teleports away instantly.

"DID YOU SEE THAT?!" shouts Nightcrawler. "THAT'S A FUCKING SABERTOOTH TIGER!!"

The tiger leaps again, but Phoenix holds it back in a telekinetic shield.

"That's odd..." says Phoenix.

"What the hell is going on?" asks Nightcrawler. An arrow strikes the spot right before Nightcrawler's foot. He and Phoenix look up and they see a man sitting in the tree, holding a bow and arrow with long, blonde hair and wearing next to nothing.

"I guess this is that human mind I sensed," says Phoenix.

"He Tarzan, you Jean?" asks Nightcrawler with a grin. Phoenix rolls her eyes.

"Release Zabu," he says. "Now!"

"It's okay... just relax," says Phoenix. "We're not here to hurt you, we're just here to talk, Ka-Zar."

"How do you know my name?" asks Ka-Zar.

"I can read minds," says Phoenix. "I'm Jean, this is Kurt. We're here to help."

"You work for Magneto," says Ka-Zar. "Tell me why I should trust you!"

"Just give me a moment, and I'll link our minds together," says Jean. "I'll show you everything, and I want you to show me everything."

Jean closes her eyes and Ka-Zar's mind is suddenly flooded with the events of Jean's time with the X-Men. Recruitment by Professor Xavier into SHIELD's mutant strike force program, Magneto's attack on New York, the Brotherhood, Jean's encounter with the Shadow King and transformation into the Phoenix, and Magneto's newfound generosity. Jean also sees inside Ka-Zar's mind and discovers what it is that Magneto has been hiding.

"Oh... oh god..." says Jean.

"What is it?" asks Nightcrawler.

"The terraforming technology that makes Avalon the way it is..." replies Jean. "Kurt... Ka-Zar isn't the only human on the island. Magneto uses humans to power the technology."


	2. Part II: KaZar

* * *

"SAVAGE LAND"  
Part II: Ka-Zar  
October 2004  
**by Dino Pollard**

* * *

_**Avalon; Training Arena**_

One man is Scott Summers. The other is Logan. The two stand face to face and begin sizing each other up. Both are dressed in uniforms given to them by SHIELD, identifying them as members of the X-Men. Wolverine clenches his fist and six foot-long, razor-sharp adamantium claws extend from his hands. Logan crouches down and brings his claws up in front of his face.

"Go ahead," he says. "Attack."

Cyclops moves a hand up to his visor and turns the small dial on the side of it. The ruby-quartz lens opens, unleashing a stream of crimson concussive force. Wolverine leaps over the blast, eliminating some of the distance between the two X-Men. Cyclops fires again and Wolverine ducks under it and moves in closer. Cyclops jumps back and fires off a third blast and Wolverine sidesteps it, then leaps forward. He retracts his claws as he slams his open palm on the underside of Cyclops' jaw. Scott's head snaps back, his optic blast firing skyward. Logan follows it up by kicking out his teammate's legs from under him. Scott falls hard on his back. When he opens his eyes, he sees Logan's clenched fist hovering above his head.

"Bang, Scotty," he says and with a thought, the claws pop out, stopping mere centimeters from Scott's face. "You're dead."

"Cutting it kind of close, don't y'think?" asks Cyclops.

"I don't cut any other way," replies Wolverine. He retracts his claws and opens his hand, offering it. Cyclops grabs it and Wolverine helps to pull him up. "By th' way, you scored a piss-poor on this performance evaluation."

"Wha?"

"Your powers are long range, mine are short," says Wolverine. "You should've lasted a lot longer than that."

"Hey, I tried to blast you, but you move too fast!" exclaims Cyclops.

"Then you gotta be faster," says Wolverine. "Use the environment to yer advantage. Your powers are concussive, so use 'em in the right spots. Don't just use 'em as a battering ram, find more precise ways t' take down your target. Y' gotta get in better shape if you ever plan on leading this outfit."

"What the hell are you talking about?" asks Cyclops. "I'm no leader."

"Yer more qualified than you think," replies Wolverine.

"Besides, why are you shopping around for a new leader?" asks Cyclops. "You plan on going somewhere?"

"I ain't goin' anywhere, but I'm not gonna be around forever," replies Wolverine. "When I'm gone, I need someone I can trust t' take over. And you know I don't trust Magneto."

"What about Jean then?" asks Cyclops. "Or Hank. Either of them are far more qualified to lead than I am."

"Hank's too busy brooding over Monet," replies Wolverine. "As f'r Jean, my gut tells me there's something not quite right with her."

"What do you mean?" asks Cyclops.

"All this Phoenix stuff, gives me a bad vibe," he replies. "Doesn't mean you're without yer faults, though."

"Aside from the whole my sucking part?" asks Scott.

"I mean because you're hung up over that chick you were bangin' back in New York," replies Logan.

"Hey, wait just a damn minute..."

"Oh, touched a nerve, did I?" asks Logan.

Scott opens his mouth to protest, but then shuts it once he realizes Logan's point. His head drops slightly, as if he were a child being scolded by an authority figure.

"You've got problems you gotta sort through, and chief among them is that chick," says Logan. "Have y' even spoke to her since you got here?"

"I called her once, told her what was going on, what had happened," says Scott.

"And...?"

"She... didn't sound too happy about it," says Scott. "She tried a long-distance relationship before, when she first went off to college. With her boyfriend from high school. It didn't last. Long-distance relationships are tough, man. Especially when one person is in Antarctica and the other's in New York."

"Even though y' got access to a teleporter," says Logan.

"Who, Gateway?" asks Scott. "Yeah, I'm sure Magneto would just _love _that I'm running off to New York to spend time with my flatscan girlfriend."

"Doesn't matter what Magneto wants or doesn't want," replies Logan. "Y' gotta do what y' gotta do."

"Yeah, I suppose you're right..." says Scott.

"And it seems like yer still pretty freaked out over what happened when y' came to my room," says Logan.

"Not freaked out... it's not like that," says Scott. "I mean, it's not like I have a problem with it... but it's just like... you're this stereotypical, Clint Eastwood alpha male and... I find you in bed with a guy. It's just... shocking."

"Slim, do y' really wanna talk about this?"

"Not particularly, no," says Scott.

"Good, 'cause neither do I," says Logan. "Whoever I fuck is no one's business but my own. So suck it up and keep yer mouth shut."

* * *

"Wait... wait just a minute..." comes the voice of Kurt Darkholme. "Jean, you can't be serious, can you?"

"She is," says the mysterious man called Ka-Zar. "She saw it inside my mind, she saw what Magneto has done to us."

"Tell me..." says Jean Grey, her eyes glowing with the bright intensity of the sun itself. "Tell me everything. There's more you're not telling me, Mr. Plunder."

"What?" asks Kurt. "I thought you said your name was Ka-Zar."

Ka-Zar sits down on the ground, leaning back against a tree. The orange, sabertooth tiger he calls Zabu sits by his side and Ka-Zar begins scratching the large cat's head.

"My name is Kevin Plunder," he begins. "I worked, or used to work, for the United States government. I was a geneticist, exploring the possibilities of human evolution. In an attempt to study the effects of global warming, and what could be done about them, I was sent here alongwith a team of other scientists. The head of our little expedition was a man named Nathanial Essex."

"...what?" asks Jean. "Nathanial Essex? But that's not possible..."

"I worked with him personally, it's not only possible, it happened," says Ka-Zar.

"What are you talking about?" asks Kurt. "Who's this Essex guy?"

"We ran into him shortly before you and the Brotherhood appeared," replies Jean. "But he was calling himself Sinister. According to Fury, he disappeared after World War II."

"That may very well be true," says Ka-Zar. "Essex was responsible for the terraforming technology which created this place. As time went on, we discovered we had lost more and more contact with our superiors. Then, one day, we discovered that Essex was performing his own genetic experiments, attempting to study evolution. Zabu here is one of the products of his tinkering. Soon, we discovered that we weren't here to study the effects of global warming. In fact, we discovered we weren't even here on behalf of the U.S. government. We were here for Essex's behalf, so he could have test subjects.

"We attempted to confront Essex, attempted to rebel, but he was prepared to attack us with a small army of what he called mutates—humans who were genetically modified to serve as his slaves," he continues. "We were forced out into the wild, living on our own. We knew he was using people for the terraforming technology, and with no weapons and no supplies, we were forced to contend with what little we had. That was when Magneto and his followers, the Acolytes, came. Magneto promised us salvation from Essex, a chance to return home. He gave us hope that we could win. Together, with Magneto and his Acolytes, we took on Essex and destroyed him."

"That's impossible," says Jean. "I saw Sinister die with my own eyes. I watched as Scott's brother killed him."

"I don't know how to explain that," says Ka-Zar. "All I can tell you is what _I _saw with _my _own eyes."

"What happened after that?" asks Kurt.

"At first, it was a nice arrangement," replies Ka-Zar. "For several months, we lived in peace with the mutants. Until knowledge came that the generators Essex built to maintain the terraforming technology wouldn't last much longer. We had decided to return to our homes, but Magneto said that Avalon was to maintain a haven for mutants. I tried explaining to him that there was no way we could remain here without some sort of power source. He said he knew of one. That was when... they took us prisoner. Used us to power the technology."

"Damn..." says Kurt. "It's like The Matrix or something."

"I was able to escape, with Zabu," says Ka-Zar. "That was a few months ago. Ever since then, I've been striking at the Acolytes when I can, trying to remain hidden and live day by day, long enough for the day when I can invade the generators and free the others."

"Kurt, you stay with Ka-Zar," says Jean. Flames begin to appear around her body as she rises in the air ever so slightly. "Stay out of sight, I'll contact you as soon as I can."

"Where are you going?" asks Kurt.

"I'm going to tell Logan and the others," replies Jean.

* * *

"You don't approve of what I'm doing, do you?"

"You already know the answer to that question."

"I'm sorry..." he says. "But this is something I have to do. I have to do whatever is necessary to maintain all that we've struggled to build. You remember what happened the last time I was weak, don't you?"

"Of course I do, that shouldn't even be a question. But that's not what I'm referring to, Erik. Those humans deserve whatever fate you grant them. If not for you, they would have squandered this Eden that was created for them. It would have become a place of corruption in no time."

"If it's not their fate that bothers you, then what is it?" asks Erik.

"These X-Men. They don't belong in Avalon, they don't belong here in Heaven. They are tainted by the sins of humanity, and you know it."

"They were deceived by their human oppressors," says Erik. "I blame them no more than I blame the Sonderkommandos who burned the bodies of my family."

"_Our_ family. I was the child of a survivor, too, or have you forgotten?"

"I forget nothing, you know that," says Erik. "They were Charles' students."

"No they weren't, Charles Xavier never even knew them, save for Jean Grey. He was under the control of the Shadow King the entire time."

"The Shadow King was also controlling me, unless you've forgotten," says Erik. "My weakness is what allowed the Shadow King to possess me. And the attacks he waged on humanity announced my presence to the world before I was prepared to. The government sought out Charles in response to my actions, unaware that it was all part of the Shadow King's plan."

"I know this story, Erik. You don't have to repeat it for me."

"But I feel as if I should," says Erik. "You must know, I'm doing this for our benefit."

"I know you are, and I appreciate everything you have done. You are a good man, Erik. But you and Xavier had ideological differences. He wanted to coddle the humans. In this world, we must be strong if we are to get ahead. We have to build our armies, and we have to strike at the humans to claim this world that is rightfully ours."

"I... you're right... you know that, don't you?"

"Of course I do."

"I love you so much," says Erik. "You've always been my greatest source for advic—"

The sound of knocking on the door interrupts Erik in the middle of his speech.

"Sir?" comes a soft voice from the other side of the door.

"Enter," says Erik. He sits back in the large chair sitting behind the oak desk. Mist appears to seep in from under the doorway, and it coalescences into a solid form, that of a young woman with long, red hair.

"Forgive the intrusion, Lord Magneto," she says.

"It is quite alright, Voght," says Magneto.

Voght looks around the room with a hint of surprise and curiosity on her face. Magneto takes notice of this.

"Is something wrong?" he asks.

"No... I just..." she begins. "I'm sorry, Lord, I thought I heard you talking to someone."

"You were mistaken," says Magneto. "What do you need, Amelia?"

"There's been a Ka-Zar sighting," says Voght. "He ambushed and killed the Richter boy."

"Hmph..." mutters Magneto. "It seems his activities have become public again. We mustn't risk raising the X-Men's suspicions."

"My Lord, if you're suggesting what I believe you're suggesting, then I must beg o—"

"I suggest nothing, Voght!" retorts Magneto. "I am Magneto and in Avalon, my word is law. And yes, my method for removing Ka-Zar is exactly what you fear it is."

"But my Lord..."

"Don't you dare question me again, Ms. Voght," says Magneto. "Release it."

* * *

Nightcrawler watches with rapt attention as Ka-Zar sharpens his arrowheads.

"So... I guess you must've been a scout or something," he says.

"Not exactly," says Ka-Zar. "But when you're forced to survive on your own, you either learn really fast or you die."

"I see..." says Nightcrawler. "Anyway, why do you call yourself Ka-Zar?"

"Y'know something... I'm really not sure," says Ka-Zar. "I just liked the way it sounded."

"...why?"

"Well, Kevin Plunder doesn't exactly strike fear in the hearts of mutants, does it?" asks Ka-Zar.

"Yeah, you've got a point there, I guess," replies Nightcrawler. He looks out over the skyline and sees something flying towards them. "Hey... what's that?"

Ka-Zar glances up, then turns back to his arrows. Once the sight registers in his mind, his head snaps back up just as Zabu rises to his feet and starts to growl.

"Run," says Ka-Zar as he stands.

"What?" asks Nightcrawler. "What do you mean?"

"It's coming towards us, you idiot," replies Ka-Zar. "Now run!"

"What are you talking about?" asks Nightcrawler. "What's coming towards us?"

"Sauron!"

* * *


	3. Part III: A Gathering Storm

* * *

"SAVAGE LAND"  
Part III: A Gathering Storm  
January 2005  
**by Dino Pollard**

* * *

_**Avalon**_

"What the hell's a sauron" asks Nightcrawler.

"LOOK OUT" exclaims Ka-Zar. Nightcrawler turns his head and his glowing, yellow eyes grow wide as he sees a seven-foot, green-skinned half-man, half-pteradactyl diving towards him from the sky. Nightcrawler quickly vanishes in an explosion of smoke and light, teleporting away. He rematerializes above Sauron and drives his foot into Sauron's back. He teleports once more and winds up next to Ka-Zar.

"What _is _that thing" asks Nightcrawler.

"That would be Sauron" replies Ka-Zar.

The dino-man circles in the air and flies towards the two of them. Ka-Zar takes aim with his bow and fires off an arrow. Sauron swerves and avoids it, swooping down low. Nightcrawler grabs onto Ka-Zar and Zabu and the three teleport from the spot. Sauron looks around in surprise, scanning the area for them, but can find nothing. Several feet away, Nightcrawler, Ka-Zar, and Zabu rematerialize in a forested area, trying to stay out of sight. They watch as Sauron continues to circle the area.

"We're not safe here" says Ka-Zar. "Sooner or later, he'll detect us."

"Okay, stop" says Nightcrawler. "Rewind and play, this time in slo-mo if you don't mind. _What _the hell _is _that"

"Sauron, the last remaining mutate" says Ka-Zar. "After the battle with Essex, we thought all the mutates were killed. We were wrong. Sauron was still alive, and Magneto used him as a weapon against us. He used to be a scientist named Karl Lykos before Essex changed him into that... thing. He's like a vampire of sorts, he drains a person's life essence."

"Okay, then we just lay low for now until he gets bored or decides to feed on something else" says Nightcrawler.

"Not that simple" says Ka-Zar. "We have to keep moving, Sauron's a tracker."

"Damn, where are Jean and the others when you need 'em" asks Nightcrawler.

* * *

"Sonnuva..." exclaims Kitty.

Hank looks over at her from his terminal.

"I take it you're not having any luck, either" he asks.

"As in not at all" replies Kitty. "I can't get around Magneto's encryption codes. I've never seen a system so sophisticated, who knew he was such a computer whiz"

"Not Mags" says Logan as he enters the room. Ali stands by his side. "One of his Acolytes, Milan."

"That weird guy with the tattoos and bad sunglasses" asks Kitty.

"He can communicate with computers" replies Logan. "You won't be able to get inside that thing without making friends with the computer. An' Milan's the only one that speaks its language."

"I thought you and Scott were training" says Hank.

"We finished up about an hour ago" says Logan. "Dunno where he is now, but he should be here soon."

The door to the computer room slides open and John and Peter step inside. As soon as they're through the doorway, they separate as far from each other as possible. John stands next to Ali and crosses his arm, glaring at Peter.

"Am I missing something" asks Kitty. "What's with the Scooby meeting"

"We got a mental summons from Jean, told us to meet in here" replies Ali.

"So where is she" asks Kitty. "And where's Kurt and Scott"

_"We'll be meeting up with Kurt shortly"_ comes Jean's psychic voice in their heads. The door slides open and she enters the room, her eyes glowing brightly. _"I haven't been able to locate Scott anywhere on the island, though. No one knows where he is"_

"Haven't heard from him since we finished training" says Logan. "I have an idea where he might be, though."

* * *

_**Empire State University; New York**_

Scott approaches the door to the room, holding a small bouquet of flowers in his hand. He knocks on it lightly, and the door opens slightly. Scott slowly pushes the door open and looks inside.

"Maggie..." he asks. He opens the door further and sees a young man with short, black hair standing in the middle of the room. The two stare at each other for a few moments.

"Who are you" asks the young man.

"Who am I" asks Scott. "Who are _you_"

"Jack" comes a voice from the bathroom. The bathroom door opens and Maggie steps out, a towel draped around her body. "What's going on? Who are you talking"

She stops once her eyes land on Scott.

"-to" she finishes. "Oh god... Scott..."

"You know this guy" asks Jack.

"I'm her boyfriend" replies Scott.

"Boyfriend" asks Jack.

"_Ex_-boyfriend" says Maggie.

"When were you going to tell me" asks Scott.

"I thought I made it pretty clear the last time we spoke" replies Maggie. "You know, the whole 'I never want to see you again' part"

"I thought you were just upset..." says Scott.

"Listen pal" says Jack, stepping between Scott and Maggie. "Obviously she's not interested. So why don't you just go back to wherever it is you came from? Y'know, _before_ things get ugly."

* * *

"So, you going to the Delta party tonight" asks the young brunette girl.

"I dunno" replies her raven-haired roommate. "Partying gets kind of old after awhile, y'know"

"Yeah, I get you" says the brunette. "Sometimes I wish something exciting would happen here."

Almost on cue, the girls react in shock as Jack's head crashes through the wall of their dorm room. He's pulled back out. In Maggie's dorm room right next door, Scott throws Jack against the far wall. Scott rushes towards him and punches Jack in the abdomen, then delivers another punch to Jack's face. He throws Jack on the ground and reaches up for his glasses.

"Scott stop it" exclaims Maggie. She gets down on the ground beside Jack, whose nose is bleeding, and stares up at Scott. "Get the hell out of here now, you bastard"

Scott sighs and slowly lowers his hand away from his glasses. He picks up the flowers and drops them beside Maggie.

"These are for you" he says. He turns and leaves the room, a crowd gathering in the halls to see what just happened.

* * *

_**Avalon**_

"He asked me to send him to New York" says Gateway, sitting cross-legged in the middle of a large, empty room.

"New York" asks Peter. "What's he doing there"

"His girlfriend goes to college there" replies Jean. "Bring him back."

"What's so important anyway" asks John. "I mean, the dude hasn't seen his girlfriend in months. Cut him some slack."

"This is important, John" replies Jean. "Bring him back, Gateway. Now."

"Alright, just relax" says Gateway. He closes his eyes and a portal opens up. Scott Summers appears in the center of it, and the portal slowly begins to vanish.

"What's going on" asks Scott. Almost on cue, the entire room seems to melt away, and the X-Men all find themselves standing in empty space. Jean is in the center of them, flames surrounding her body and her eyes glowing brightly.

_"Everyone listen closely, because we don't have a lot of time."_

_"What's going on" _asks Scott. _"Where are we"_

_"The Astral Plane" _replies Jean. _"Right now, I've put up psychic shields on all of us, so I'm trying my hardest to keep Magneto's psychics at bay. We don't have a lot of time to discuss anything, so just open up your minds to me. Kurt and I have discovered that Avalon is powered by captive humans. Magneto's been lying to us all this time, and he's exploiting these poor people for his own gains. Sinister used to run this area, and Magneto came and helped the humans rebel against Sinister. But after Sinister was driven out, Magneto turned on the humans. Now, Kurt is with Ka-Zar, the only human still free in Avalon, and from the message I've gotten from him, they're being pursued. We have to help Kurt and Ka-Zar and then we take the fight to Magneto."_

* * *

Magneto sits in a large, leather chair, dressed in full uniform, with his helmet resting on the desk. He turns his chair to face the Acolytes who stand in the room with himMilan and Voght.

"And you're certain of this, Milan"

"Positive, my Lord" replies Milan. "The computer system informed me that Shadowcat was attempting to get around Avalon's encryption codes."

"But did she succeed" asks Magneto.

"No sir" replies Milan.

"The X-Men are getting too close, my Lord" says Voght.

"You're correct, Amelia" says Magneto. "Where are they now"

"They've gone" says Voght. "I've had our psychics try to pierce their minds, but they're heavily shielded."

"Phoenix's doing" says Magneto. "She has proven to be more powerful than I originally imagined."

"What do we do, Lord Magneto" asks Milan.

"Assemble a search party" replies Magneto. "We can't afford to have the X-Men running about now."

"What do we do when we find them" asks Voght.

"They've become a liability" replies Magneto. "Kill them."

* * *

With a bright explosion of light and smoke, Nightcrawler appears within another brush, holding onto Ka-Zar and Zabu. Kurt falls to his knees and gasps for breath.

"Are you okay" asks Ka-Zar.

"I'm exhausted" replies Nightcrawler. "That much teleporting... especially with passengers... takes a lot out of me."

"We can't stop now" says Ka-Zar. "Sauron will find us soon."

Zabu turns and begins growling, his tail raising up. Ka-Zar moves to Zabu's side.

"What is it" he asks.

Zabu motions up at the sky, and Ka-Zar looks to see Sauron swooping in low. The mutate locks eyes with Ka-Zar, and he finds himself paralyzed, unable to move.

"Crap..." says Nightcrawler, watching as Sauron comes in low. Sauron hovers in the air and wraps his talons around Ka-Zar's arms. Before he flies off though, he turns his head around, searching for some new threat. Seemingly out of nowhere, a blast of crimson energy strikes Sauron, forcing him off Ka-Zar.

"Scott..." asks Nightcrawler.

"And company, elf" says Shadowcat. She runs to Nightcrawler's side and gives him a once-over. "How you doing"

"I feel like I've just gotten over a week-long bender" he replies.

"He's weak" says Shadowcat. "I don't think he's going to be much help."

"Stay with him" says Wolverine. "Beast, you too. See what sort of medical attention you can give him."

"What about me" asks Colossus.

"You're with us, big guy" replies Wolverine.

"But Kurt's my friend" says Colossus.

"I don't care, we need yer strength" says Wolverine.

"Pfft, we don't need it _that _bad..." says Thunderbird.

"Do you gentlemen mind if we save the pissing contest for later" asks Phoenix.

"Don't look now, but dino-boy is back" says Dazzler, pointing up towards the sky.

"Yeah, I see that" says Wolverine. "Petey, you remember that manuever we talked about"

"Of course" says Colossus.

"Daz, Cyke, Jeanyou three be ready to back us up."

"Not a problem" says Cyclops, raising his hand to his visor.

"Good" says Wolverine. He turns to Colossus. "Ready"

"Ready" says Colossus. Wolverine leaps into Colossus' arms. "One Fastball Special coming up"

The Russian mutant coils his arm back and hurls Wolverine into the sky with all his strength. Wolverine soars through the air, claws first, and slashes them at Sauron as soon as he gets within range. Sauron tries to force Wolverine off, but finds he cannot get a good grip. Wolverine manuevers himself around Sauron so that he's on the mutate's back.

"Now" he shouts.

Cyclops and Dazzler let loose with their powers, knocking Sauron unconscious. The two drop from the sky into freefall. Phoenix hovers in the air and snags them both in a telekinetic field, and brings them safely to the ground.

"Not bad" says Wolverine, getting to his feet. He kicks the unconscious Sauron in the head once more for good measure. Phoenix kneels down beside the creature and places her hand on his head.

"What's she doing" asks Colossus.

"I don't know" replies Cyclops. "Jean, what _are _you doing"

Phoenix closes her eyes as flames begin to surround her body. Sauron slowly begins to revert from the form of a green-skinned pteradactyl-man into a human being with long brown hair and a beard. She opens her eyes and stands from the ground.

"He was being used by Magneto as a weapon against the humans here, in case they ever escaped" says Phoenix.

"So now we gotta shut this operation down" says Wolverine. "Hey Tarzan, you gonna show us where we need to go"

"My name is Ka-Zar" he says. "And yes, I will."

"Good" says Phoenix. "Let's start moving then."

"Wait..." says Wolverine. His claws extend with a SNIKT as he readies himself in a battle stance. "We got company..."

A cloud of smoke appears before the X-Men, and once it fades, they see several Acolytes standing before them. Havok steps to the front of the group.

"Did you _really_ think it was gonna be that easy"

* * *


	4. Part IV: Old Habits

* * *

"SAVAGE LAND"  
Part IV: Old Habits  
February 2005  
**by Dino Pollard**

* * *

_**Avalon**_

The X-Men, alongside Ka-Zar and Zabu, stand facing a small gathering of Acolytes. At the head of the group is Havok - Cyclops' younger brother. Also among them are Javitz, Unuscione, Senyaka, Vindaloo, Meltdown, Voght, and Delgado.

"You're not going anywhere" says Havok.

"Don't do this, Alex" says Cyclops.

"You're not leaving me much of a choice, Scotty" says Havok. "You're trying to destroy everything Magneto has built here. And for what? To side with the flatscans who betrayed you"

"It's about more than that, kid" says Wolverine. "Jean, Kitty - go with jungle boy and find those humans."

The Phoenix raptor manifests around Jean. The wings expand to enclude Shadowcat, Ka-Zar, and Zabu. The four of them streak off. Voght vanishes in a puff of smoke as well.

"Ten gets you twenty she's gonna bring back-up" says Thunderbird.

"Then we finish this quickly" says Wolverine. "Divide an' conquer, team."

"I call dibs on Meltdown" says Dazzler. "I still owe her for Liberty Island."

Havok launches the opening salvo by unleashing a massive plasma blast. The X-Men scatter, save for Cyclops who stands and absorbs the brunt of the impact. When the dust clears, he's standing there, his clothing damaged, but otherwise unharmed.

"How..." asks Havok. "Last time it took you out."

"That was then, this is now" replies Cyclops. He charges forward and tackles Havok to the ground. "Turns out siblings are genetically immune to each other's powers. Only reason your powers hurt me last time was because of the Sentinels."

"Not bad, Scotty, but you'll need to do better" says Havok. He knees Cyclops in the groin and drives his elbow into his brother's face. He pulls Cyclops up by his collar and delivers a right hook that knocks Cyclops to the ground. Havok jumps towards him, but Cyclops kicks his legs up, striking Havok in the chest. Cyclops quickly jumps back up to his feet.

"By the way, did I mention Logan's been teaching me some pointers" asks Cyclops.

* * *

Deep beneath Avalon, Shadowcat, Phoenix, and Ka-Zar drop down into the central core of the generators from the ceiling. All of them link arms, having passed through thanks to Shadowcat's phasing abilities.

"We have to move fast" says Phoenix. "I sensed Voght teleport away from the battle once we left. It won't be long before Magneto shows up, and I want to free as many people as possible before that happens."

"Why's Magneto that big of a deal anyway" asks Shadowcat. "I mean, didn't you guys take him out once before"

"At best, we slowed him down" replies Phoenix. "It was the Professor who really took him out. And then we found out most of that was window-dressing courtesy of the Shadow King."

"Yeah, but that was also before you started calling yourself Phoenix, right" asks Shadowcat.

"My powers are growing, I know that" replies Phoenix. "But I'm afraid to use them to an extreme degree, which is what I would need to do if Magneto shows up."

"Why" asks Shadowcat.

"The more I push myself, the more I sense something... a darkness of some kind" replies Phoenix.

"Could we possibly worry about that later" asks Ka-Zar.

"Right, sorry" says Phoenix. "Kitty, you think your computer skills can handle this"

"Only one way to find out" says Shadowcat as she moves towards the large Cray computer.

* * *

"You sucker punched me last time" says Dazzler. "Don't think it's gonna happen twice."

"Ooooh, I'm shaking" says Meltdown. "Whaddaya gonna do, Britney, lip sync me to death"

"Okay... now _that _was just uncalled for..." says Dazzler. She soaks up the sounds of battle, utilizing the sound to fuel her ability to generate light. She begins forming orbs of colorful light in her hands.

"I..."

She hurls one of them at Meltdown, striking Meltdown's right shoulder.

"Never..."

She hurls another at Meltdown's left shoulder.

"LIPSYNC"

She hurls two orbs at once, knocking Meltdown back. Meltdown recovers and shakes her head, just in time to see that Dazzler is upon her again. Before Meltdown can retaliate, Dazzler drives her foot against Meltdown's forehead.

"Bitch" mutters Dazzler.

* * *

"Lord Magneto"

Amelia Voght's words announced her presence as she teleported inside Magneto's inner sanctum. Magneto stood there, his helmet sitting on a desk, and quickly turned to look at her with scorn.

"Lord Magneto, a team of Acolytes have located the X-Men" she says. "But Phoenix and Shadowcat left with Ka-Zar."

"Why have you disrupted my counsel, Amelia" asks Magneto.

"...my Lord" asks Voght. "There's no one else in here but us."

"Don't listen to her, Erik."

Magneto turns to see the form of a young woman standing behind him.

"I'm here for you and you alone" she says.

"I have to apologize for my overzealous follower, Magda" says Magneto.

"Magda" asks Voght. "Who are you speaking to"

"Leave us be, Voght" says Magneto. "I will deal with the X-Men."

"...as you wish" says Voght before teleporting out.

"You know what you must do, Erik" says Magda.

"I do" replies Magneto. "I promise Magda, we will have our vengeance on the humans."

* * *

In a flash of light and smoke, coupled with the sulfuric scent of brimstone, Nightcrawler teleports an instant before Delgado can strike him. Nightcrawler rematerializes behind Delgado and wraps his arms around the Acolyte's shoulders, trapping him in a full-nelson. Nightcrawler takes a deep breath before performing a series of teleportations while keeping Delgado in tow.

When they rematerialize and halt, Delgado falls unconscious. Nightcrawler stumbles, trying to regain his footing, exhaustion overtaking his body. He places his hands on his stomach and bends forward, vomitting. Performing that many teleportations in such a short period while carrying someone as large as Delgado is a trying experience for him - and an even worse one for his passengers.

Nearby, Senyaka's energy whip flies through the air. Colossus lifts his arm to block and the whip wraps around it. Piotr Rasputin grits his teeth in pain, but pulls back on the whip, pulling Senyaka with it. As Senyaka flies through the air, Colossus' fist provides the sudden backstop that knocks the Acolyte's teeth loose.

* * *

"I think I'm starting to figure this out" says Shadowcat. "Some of it's difficult to get through thanks to Milan's powers, but it's not impossible."

"How much longer do you think it'll take" asks Phoenix.

"I'm not sure..." replies Shadowcat. "First step is shutting down the power..."

Kitty Pryde's hands are a blur as her fingers dance across the keyboard, entering programs and encryption codes to hack into the sophisticated system set up by Milan. Phoenix rests her arms on the back of the chair and stares intently at the screen. Ka-Zar simply watches the pods containing his friends and co-workers from the observation window, watching for any sign of movement or life.

"How are we doing on company" asks Shadowcat.

"I'm not sure" replies Phoenix.

"You're not scanning the area" asks Shadowcat.

"I'm conserving my energy" replies Phoenix. "Magneto will be coming here, we know that much for certain. So I need to be ready to break through his defenses."

* * *

Utilizing his superhuman speed, Thunderbird easily sidesteps many of Vindaloo's fire attacks. He glances over to the side and watches as Beast uses his own peak-human speed and agility to avoid the massive fists of the one-eyed Javitz. Thunderbird charges forward, dodging the flame blasts, getting close enough to uppercut Vindaloo.

Vindaloo falls flat on his tailbone. He sits up and rubs his lip, looking down at his hand and seeing blood. He extends his hands. Vindaloo's pores produce a flammable gel that when exposed to the air ignites, which he can direct as liquid napalm. Thunderbird charges away, attempting to avoid the napalm.

"Need some help over there" asks Beast.

"Couldn't hurt" replies Thunderbird.

Beast nods and leaps over Javitz, slamming his feet down on Javitz's head. Javitz turns, gritting his teeth, and charges towards Beast. Beast grabs the collar of Javtiz's costume and using Javitz's own momentum against him, kicks him right into the path of Vindaloo's napalm blast.

"Javitz" he exclaims. He feels a finger tapping him on his shoulder and hears a man clearing his throat.

"Hi" says Thunderbird. He drives his fist against Vindaloo's face, shattering the Acolyte's jaw.

* * *

"I've got it" exclaims Shadowcat. "Here we go... I'm shutting down all power save for this control center."

"If we shut down the generators, how can we still operate the computer" asks Ka-Zar.

"There's reserve power stored in battery units" replies Shadowcat. "I'm switching to those right now. Next step is disconnecting your people from the system."

Ka-Zar looks through the observation glass to see the pods beginning to slide open, yet he sees no movement from the people inside.

"What's happening" he asks. "Why aren't they moving"

"Relax, these guys have been incredibly doped up to keep them immobile" replies Shadowcat. "Give it some time for the drugs to wear off."

"What's she doing" asks Ka-Zar. He motions with his thumb to Phoenix, who hovers upside-down in the lotus position, her eyes closed and her hands clasped together with a small aura of flames surrounding her body.

"Meditating, I guess" replies Shadowcat. "I dunno, but I assume she knows what she's doing."

The sound of metal scraping against metal echoes in the small control room. Shadowcat and Ka-Zar instantly jump to their feet to see the walls tear open. Magneto hovers inside the small enclosure, his arms folded and his cape billowing around him with a magnetic field surrounding his body.

"Ms. Pryde, this is your one and only chance to save yourself" says Magneto. "If you value your life, reactivate the system."

The Phoenix awakens.

* * *

While Wolverine slashes at Unuscione's psionic exoskeleton to try and pierce it, Cyclops and Havok trade blow after blow with each other.

"You just don't get it, do you" asks Cyclops. He sits on Havok's chest and grabs his brother by the ears. "Magneto is _lying _to you"

He slams Havok's head against the ground repeatedly.

"If we're homo superior, then we have to set an example" exclaims Cyclops. "Enslaving people, bringing war... that's _their _way! We have to be better than that! We're supposed to be evolved, we're supposed to be superior! So let's prove it by finding better solutions"

He lifts Havok's head and slams it down again.

"I don't know what it'll take to get you to see that" says Cyclops. "Hopefully this will knock some sense into you"

"N-no... you're wrong" says Havok. "If we don't strike first, they'll strike at _us_! We have to stop them before they can harm us any more than they already have"

"Oh shut up" exclaims Cyclops. He pulls Havok up and knees him in the stomach. Havok keels over and Cyclops drives his elbow into his brother's back. Cyclops pulls him upright and punches him across the face. Havok falls down to the ground and doesn't make an effort to stand back up.

"I'm sorry, Alex" says Cyclops. He turns his attention to Wolverine and reaches up to his visor. Turning the dial, he unleashes an optic blast that slams against Unuscione's exoskeleton. The distraction he provides gives Wolverine an opportunity to gain the upper hand. Unuscione's concentration wavers for a moment, long enough for Wolverine's claws to pierce her abdomen. With Unuscione immobilized, Wolverine turns to Cyclops.

"You alright" he asks.

Cyclops looks down at his brother.

"No" he replies. "But that's not important right now."

"Good soldier" says Wolverine. "Let's go see what Jeannie and Kitty are up to."

* * *

Magneto suddenly finds himself standing in complete and total darkness. He looks down and sees his uniform has been replaced with a white suit. He glances furiously around.

"What is this" he exclaims. "Where are you"

A bright light pierces his eyes, burning his retina. Jean Grey hovers towards him, surrounded by the Phoenix avatar. Her eyes glow brightly.

"You" he says. "How did you break through my defenses"

_"Don't insult me, Erik. I was powerful enough to kill the Shadow King. Did you really think those defenses could keep me out forever"_

"DON'T CALL ME THAT" he exclaims. "MY NAME IS MAGNETO"

_"No, no it's not. It's Erik Lehnsherr."_

"No..." he replies. "Lehnsherr is dead."

The wings of the Phoenix expand, blinding Magneto with their light. When he can see again, he discovers that the landscape has changed. The darkness is gone, replaced with a suburban neighborhood. All the houses look almost identical to each other. Erik's eyes go wide in shock when he realizes where he is.

"No..." he mutters. "Don't do this..."

But he receives no response from the Phoenix. Instead, he watches as night falls over the suburban town. A mob gathers in front of the home. They set up a large wooden X on the front lawn and light it on fire.

"MUTANTS ARE NOT WELCOME HERE" exclaims the leader. He holds a bottle of alcohol in his hand with cloth sticking out of it. He lights the cloth and throws the bottle through one of the windows. The other members of the mob retaliate through similar means as well, the house quickly becoming engulfed with flames.

_"The twins. They died in the fire, didn't they"_

Magneto watches as Erik Lehnsherr pulls up to the house in a car, with Charles Xavier in the passenger seat. They quickly get out of the car and rush to the house. Erik pushes past the mob, trying to charge into the home.

"Erik stop" exclaims Charles, grabbing his friend's arm. "I'm scanning... I can't find any trace of them... I'm sorry, my friend..."

"No" exclaims Erik, tears forming in his eyes. "No, they're not dead"

"Erik..." says Charles.

Erik turns to the mob and their leader.

"You did this" he exclaims. "You killed my children"

"Mutant children" replies the leader. "No great loss."

"ANIMAL" exclaims Erik. He halts the flow of iron in the man's bloodstream, and then reverses it.

_"STOP"_

The psychic voice belongs to Charles Xavier as he overtakes the minds of the remaining mob. They quickly disperse, leaving Charles and Erik alone together.

_"That was when Magneto was born, wasn't it"_

"Please don't..." mutters Magneto. "Don't make me see this..."

_"You killed Graydon Creed and distanced yourself from Xavier. The death of your children was one thing, but losing your wife... losing Magda... that drove you insane. You refused to believe she was dead, you thought she was still with you."_

"She is" exclaims Magneto. "You don't understand... together, the two of us... we had to avenge our children! We did what any parents would do"

_"But it didn't stop with the Friends of Humanity, did it? You became Magneto, you built Avalon. You attacked labs which were suspected of testing on mutants. Anti-mutant groups were springing up and you eliminated them. All that hate inside of you, your fractured mind... it weakened your defenses and made you fair game for the Shadow King."_

"Jean... please I'm begging you..."

Magneto falls to his knees, burying his face in his hands. The Phoenix was nowhere to be seen, her voice ringing inside of Magneto's head, coming from everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

_"What happened to your family was a horrible tragedy, Erik. But you can't hold all of humanity accountable for the actions of the few."_

"They're all the same..." mutters Magneto. "All they know is genocide and enslavement"

_"Then how are you any different"_

Magneto finds himself at a loss for words.

_"It's over. It's time to prove that we're better. I'm sorry to say that you won't be part of this new world, Erik."_

The flames seem to separate themselves from the house, forming into the avatar of the Phoenix with Jean Grey in the center of it. She hovers towards Magneto, and lands on the ground beside him. She kneels down next to him and wraps her arms around him, embracing him.

_"The flames of the Phoenix burn away what doesn't work, what is out of place."_

"So what happens now" he asks.

_"Just relax..."_

The flames around Jean's body expand to engulf Magneto as well, and yet he feels no pain.

_"Accept the judgement of the Phoenix."_

* * *

Nick Fury takes a drag on his cigar and surveys the area. He sighs and scratches the back of his neck.

"Colonel"

Fury turns and finds a young woman with long blonde hair dressed in a SHIELD uniform standing by.

"What is it, Carter" he asks.

"Most of the Acolytes left the island, but we were able to round up some of them" replies Sharon Carter. "Do we have any clue as to what happened here"

"None" replies Fury. "We just got a tip from a secured frequency. An' this Kevin Plunder guy sure as shit ain't talkin'. Claims he doesn't remember anything."

Fury?

Fury activates his radio and speaks into it.

"What've y' got for me, Dugan"

You won't believe this, Nick.

"What" asks Fury.

It's Magneto. He's down here.

Fury and Carter both look at each other with confusion. Fury speaks into the radio again.

"...say that again"

We found Magneto.

"Dugan, I'm in no mood for jokes" says Fury. "You're not pulling a fast one on me, are you"

I'm not shitting you, Nick - I swear on my mother's grave, we've got Magneto in custody. And it doesn't look like he's gonna be giving us any trouble.

"What do you mean" asks Fury.

Well... it seems like he's a few beers short of a six-pack. He's just laying here, eyes open... but they're completely blank. The lights are on but nobody's home.

"I'll be right there, Fury out" he says. He turns and looks out over Avalon. With the terraforming technology deactivated, the Antarctic climate has begun to take over once more. Sharon Carter steps up beside him.

"Something wrong, sir" she asks.

"I don't really know" replies Fury. "I just want to know what the hell is going on."

* * *

Two young children are playing in front of a suburban house. One is a boy with short, silver hair. The other is a girl with dark red hair pulled into pigtails. He sees a woman with long, black hair leaning against the doorway, arms folded as she watches her children play with a smile on her face. A car pulls up to the curb and a man with short, silver hair and a white suit steps out. He walks towards the house.

The children run up to him and throw their arms around him, crying out "Daddy" as they do so. Their father kneels down on the ground and embraces his children.

"Wanda! Pietro" he exclaims. He releases them and lifts Wanda up with one arm. He clutches Pietro's hand and walks towards the front door. The young woman smiles and they kiss. She looks at him with a concerned expression.

"Erik" she asks. "Are you okay"

"I'm just fine, Magda" replies Erik with a large smile. He looks to each of his children, and then back at his wife. "Everything's perfect."

* * *

**NEXT: _Mutant Massacre_**

* * *


End file.
